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Active Immunization of Heifers Against Luteinizing Hormone-Releasing Hormone, Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and Bovine Luteinizing Hormone^1,2,

Washington State University^,5, Pullman 99164-6332

Abstract

Seventy crossbred heifers were allotted randomly to 10 treatment groups. Treatments consisted of active immunization against ovalbumin (OV) conjugates of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and bovine luteinizing hormone (bLH) with each of three adjuvants. The adjuvants were complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA), M103⁶ and 6VR⁶. Control animals were immunized against OV alone using CFA. Bulls were placed with the heifers following immunization to allow comparison of pregnancy rates between groups. Blood samples were collected weekly for 14 wk to determine antibody concentrations. Significant levels of circulating LH or LHRH antibodies were detected in heifers immunized with each of the hormone conjugates. Complete Freund's adjuvant was the most effective for stimulating antibody response to these antigens; however, M103 was equally effective when used with bLH or hCG conjugates. None of the heifers in the bLH-OV-CFA, bLH-OV-M103 or LHRH-OV-CFA immunization groups was pregnant at slaughter, whereas 71% of the OV-CFA control heifers were pregnant. Fertility suppression may be achieved in the bovine by active immunization against any of these three hormone conjugates. However, the duration of this study (8 wk after immunization) does not allow evaluation of the duration of effectiveness of each of the treatments.

¹ Scientific paper no. 7813. College of Agric. and Home Econ., Res. Center, Washington State Univ., Pullman 99164. This research was supported by a grant from Norden Laboratories, Lincoln, NE, project 6138.

² The authors gratefully acknowledge NIAMDD for the purified LHRH used for iodination and L. E. Reichert, Jr., Albany Medical College, Albany, NY for the purified ovine LH for iodination. We thank Norden laboratories for the adjuvants and Orvil Sears for animal care.

³ Dept. of Aquaculture, National Taiwan College of Marine Sci. and Technol., Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China.

⁴ Reprint request: J. J. Reeves, Dept. of Anim. Sci., Washington State Univ., Pullman 99164-6332.

⁵ Dept. of Anim. Sci.

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